This represents a great step forward in mycotoxin risk management, closing the gaps of adsorption amid increasing contamination levels and unidentified losses in animal performance.

Taking advantage of its 30 years of experience in mycotoxin risk management and its know-how in biotransformation, Biomin will introduce during VIV Asia 2013 FUMzyme, a completely new approach in counteracting fumonisins in animal production. FUMzyme is a purified enzyme that biotransforms fumonisins into non-toxic metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. The detoxifying activity of this revolutionary enzyme was confirmed in numerous in vitro and in vivo experiments.

"Fumonisins elicit a toxic effect on the sphingolipid metabolism. The ratio of the sphingoid bases sphinganine and sphingosine in serum serves as an indicator (biomarker) of the effects of fumonisin on animals," said Ursula Hofstetter, director of the Competence Center Mycotoxins at Biomin. “For the first time, using the sphinganine/sphingosine ratio (Sa/So) as a biomarker, the detoxification of fumonisins by FUMzyme can be clearly demonstrated” continues Hofstetter.

Climate change and the international transportation of raw materials are only two of several factors that increase fumonisin contamination all over the world. Recent findings have revealed natural fumonisin contamination levels of 77 ppm in finished feed. Pig and poultry farmers are not only suffering from unidentified losses in performance and immunosuppressive effects, but also species-specific clinical problems. So far, the only existing possibility of alleviating fumonisin intoxication was to bind fumonisins by adsorptive substances. Unfortunately, due to the molecular structure of these mycotoxins and the pH dependence of the reaction, it can only be insufficiently adsorbed in the gastrointestinal tract.

FUMzyme, the result of years of intensive research at the Biomin Research Center in Tulln, enables Biomin to keep the lead in the development of revolutionary strategies to counteract mycotoxins.

FUMzyme is available as part of the Mycofix® product line.

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